Finding My Serenity

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change—

I do not have the power to change people nor their thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, emotions, values, morals, or actions.

I cannot change the circumstances I face in life, nor can I change the circumstances of others.

I cannot change the fact that Satan is the ruler of this world.  I do not have the power to improve the environment or the economy; I cannot remove evil, hate, crime, moral decay, poverty, or disease. These issues are greater than me.

Courage to change the things I can—

With proper orientation to God, I can change MY thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, emotions, values, morals, and actions.

With faith, I can change how I react to the circumstances in life.  I can trust that the God who put them in my path has a perfect plan for my life and rest courageously in His promises.

With perception to God’s Truth, I can remove evil in my own mind and replace doubt in my human condition with confidence in His plan.

I can be a Christian example to others by demonstrating my trust in God to handle those things I cannot. I can support, motivate, and encourage others who have temporarily lost their footing along life’s pathway. I can pray for them to find their own personal courage to live the Christian life. I can pray for God to lead them to change....

And wisdom to know the difference—

I must pray daily for this wisdom to discern between what I can and cannot control. It is a mighty struggle.  If my wisdom becomes cloudy, I overstep my bounds and lose sight of the true author of my courage.  My ego can distort God’s purpose for my life. I may believe I am working for God, but in reality, in my arrogance, I am working against Him. Instead, I must busy myself with becoming properly oriented to God’s plan and allow God to be the instrument of change in myself and others.